Something Special
by Thecrazyrabidfangirl
Summary: It is nearly Eila's birthday, however, other developments have caught her attention... Sanya x Eila


**Summary: **It is nearly Eila's birthday, however, other developments have caught her attention...

**Genre(s): **Romance/Drama/Angst

**Character(s): **Sanya L., Eila J., Yoshika M., Charlotte Y., Lynette B., F. Lucchini, M. Sakamoto

**Pairing(s): **Sanya x Eila

**Story Type: **One-shot

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Strike Witches

* * *

*** **_**Something Special**_** ***

The early morning sun shone brightly through the large, square windows of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing's mess hall. The room was abuzz with early morning chatter as the freshly awoken Witches sat around and talked excitedly while two of their fellow Witches stood in the kitchen preparing a banquet of their native dishes for the other girls to feast upon.

"Breakfast is served!" Charlotte cried proudly as she and Lucchini heaped plates of Liberion and Romagnian dishes onto the table.

The other Witches dug into their meal as they all continued to enjoy their own little conversations with their normal mealtime partners.

Eila Ilmatar Juutilanien sighed in contented joy as she dug into an assortment of Liberion breakfast foods. After a moment she paused in her eating and sighed from an even deeper sense of delight as she felt a movement against her shoulder. She looked over and smiled at the peacefully sleeping face of Sanya, who was slumped against Eila's shoulder. Her hands were loosely wrapped around Eila's arm as she snored lightly and Eila's smile widened as Sanya snorted cutely in her slumber.

"Hey, Eila."

Eila perked up and her attention shifted to across the table.

"Yeah, Shirley?" she responded curiously. A wide smile was plastered on the Liberion's face.

"Isn't 'that' day soon?" Charlotte commented with a knowing grin. Eila thought for a moment before Charlotte's reference hit her.

"Oh! Yeah, it is, how nice of you to remember," Eila replied teasingly, which caused Charlotte to chuckle.

The two girls' banter sent a stir through Sanya's sleeping form and she slowly sat up, blearily blinking her eyes and yawning slightly. Eila smiled again as she watched out of the corner of her eye as Sanya began eating the food she had dished onto a plate for her.

"So, what do you wanna do about it this year?" Charlotte asked, diverting Eila's attention back to the red head.

"Hmm, I don't know, surprise me," Eila replied jokingly.

The entire time, Yoshika sat nearby, having become interested in the two girls ambiguous conversation.

"What are you talking about? Is something special happening soon?" Yoshika asked curiously. Eila shot her a mildly annoyed glare which caused the Fuso girl to grin sheepishly as she worried if she had offended the pale blonde girl.

"Eila's birthday is the day after tomorrow," Sanya remarked softly and suddenly which caused Yoshika to startle. Eila nodded in agreement and smiled proudly.

"Really? Happy birthday, Eila-san!" Yoshika replied cheerily.

"It's not my birthday yet..." Eila replied dryly which caused Yoshika to deflate into awkward giggling.

Once the meal was over, Sakamoto stood from her chair, a stern expression set on her features. "Alright, everyone, this morning we'll be doing physical training..."

A collective groan went up from many of the Witches at the table, except Barkhorn and Minna. Sakamoto shot stern looks at the various moaning Witches, which immediately shut them all up. Minna cheerily clapped her hands together and smiled.

"That sounds wonderful," she remarked happily. Hartmann looked at Minna as if she were insane before slumping in her chair, hoping she would somehow disappear.

Sakamoto walked over to the mess hall double doors and waited until the sound of scraping chair legs reached her ears. The assembled Witches all got up from the table and dragged themselves out of the mess hall under Sakamoto's watchful gaze.

"Sanya? It's time for exercises," Eila said softly as she nudged the gray haired Witch who had fallen back asleep against her shoulder after she had eaten.

Sanya blinked awake again and sat back up. Eila stood from her chair and helped the Orussian girl to her feet, wrapping her arm around her to support her as the two were the last to walk out of the mess hall, followed shortly by Sakamoto.

Once all the Witches were assembled outside, Sakamoto made them run laps around the entire base, do push ups, and finally jumping jacks. Eila was exhausted by the end of it all.

_'I hate PT...'_ she mentally griped as sweat dripped off her face_. 'I don't know how she does it, though,'_ she mentally remarked as she observed how, not only was Sanya fully awake now, but was able to keep up with everybody else too. _'Must be the adrenaline,'_ Eila assumed as she smiled a little at the pale girl's remarkable endurance.

Suddenly everybody halted in their exercises as Hartmann cried out and fell to the ground holding her leg.

"C-cramp!" she squeaked out painfully as she clutched at her knee. Sakamoto sighed and stopped her navy watch.

"Alright! Take five, everyone," she called out.

The assembled Witches let out a collective pant of relief. Charlotte and Lucchini went to a nearby tree where they lay in the comfortable shade, Lucchini on top of the grinning red head. Barkhorn went to the aide of the injured blonde, berating her about proper Karlslandian fortitude as she helped her up, supporting her by the shoulder. Eila smiled, not at the pain of her fellow Witch, but at the fortune to be able to spend more time with Sanya. She looked around for Sanya, who had been training further down the line from the Suomus girl, but she could not locate her.

_'She was here just a second ago...'_ she thought as her protective instinct kicked in and she began to worry. Eila began to look around for Sanya, and eventually spotted her in the cool shadow of the Strike Witches' base.

"Sanya-!" Eila began to call out to the pale girl but stopped as soon as she saw who she was with.

_'Miyafuji..?'_ Eila thought in confusion. _'Why is Sanya with Miyafuji?' _Eila thought as she felt a light twist in her stomach. Eila's happy smile fell into a creased frown as she saw that the two Witches were talking rather happily. Her mouth turned down into a more defined scowl as she saw Sanya laugh a little at something Yoshika had said. _'What's this all about..?' _Eila thought bitterly.

"Alright everyone, break's over!" Sakamoto called out sternly which caused the Witches to groan and begin to reassemble. Hartmann seemed to have recovered enough to reluctantly continue on.

Eila took her place in the line up as Sakamoto began the exercises again. However, her mind was hardly on the exercises at all, instead her gaze was boring a hole through the side of Yoshika's head.

After the physical training was finished, the girls all happily decided to go take a bath together. Eila walked up to Sanya as the gray haired girl seemed to be on the verge of passing out, the adrenaline having drained from her body. She wrapped her arm around Sanya as she usually did to support the exhausted girl, enjoying the feel of Sanya's physical reliance on her.

"Wanna go take a bath?" Eila asked excitedly. Sanya nodded her head slightly and murmured a reply, so the pair set off back into the base and to the bath.

When the two arrived at the bath, Eila helped Sanya out of her clothes, blushing lightly as she did so, then stripped herself and headed into the bath, continuing to support the pale girl as she flushed from the contact. The other Witches of the 501st were inside the massive indoor bath, enjoying themselves in the steamy warmth. Normally, Eila and Sanya would have joined them. However, this time Eila decided to take Sanya and retreat further back into one of the smaller private baths that were rarely ever used except occasionally by the pair when Sanya had been up so long during the day after being on night patrol.

_'She does need her rest,'_ Eila thought with a small smile as she slipped down into the private bath, helping Sanya in.

By the time the pair settled into the humid warmth, Sanya had already passed out, slumped against Eila's shoulder as light snores escaped her lips. Eila closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of Sanya against her shoulder, her own specially treasured moments. Suddenly Eila's mind flashed back to earlier that morning, seeing Sanya and Yoshika together.

_'What could they have been talking about?'_ she wondered as her stomach ached slightly from jealousy. The image of Sanya's laughing face marred her mind's eye as her mouth creased into another unhappy line. _'Well...it's best if I put it out of my mind,'_ Eila resolved as she laid her head on top of Sanya's and let out a contented sigh.

Eila stayed in the bath with Sanya as long as she could before she decided it was unhealthy to remain any longer. She woke the slightly refreshed girl and the pair exited the bath, with Eila a little unhappy that Sanya had slept long enough to no longer need her physical aid. The two girls dressed and were walking down the hallway when they heard a voice behind them.

"Sanya-chan!" Yoshika called out from down the hallway. Sanya and Eila turned as Yoshika came running up to them. Eila glared in annoyance at the Fuso girl yet Sanya seemed delighted to see her.

"Yoshika-chan," Sanya replied happily. Yoshika gave Eila a quick glance before nervously looking away.

_'That was strange...'_ Eila observed as Yoshika smiled happily at Sanya.

"Can I talk with you some more about...'_earlier_'?" Yoshika asked, strangely hesitant on the last part.

"Oh, yes, let's go, Yoshika-chan," Sanya replied softly as she looked over at Eila. "Go on without me, Eila, I'll catch up to you later," she said with a smile before walking back down the hallway with Yoshika.

Eila stared after Sanya, feeling a mixture of annoyance at Yoshika and upset that Sanya was no longer with her.

_'That was really weird...'_ Eila thought as she turned and headed back to her room._ 'What was that whole '_earlier'_ thing about anyways?'_ she thought with a frown as she entered her room and sat down on her bed.

As Eila laid down, her frown turned into a full blown pout_. 'Why're you spending time with her now, Sanya..?'_ she thought as she rubbed her stomach which began to ache even more.

Eila did not see Sanya for the rest of the day, causing her feelings of jealousy to increase greatly. Finally, it was dinner time, signified by the setting sun that was now orange against the horizon. Eila left her room and walked down the hallway, feeling unusually lonely without her usual partner by her side. She entered the mess hall, which was already mostly filled, and took her usual seat. She was about to dig into her food when she looked across the table and her stomach turned. Sanya was sitting next to Yoshika, chatting away with the Fuso girl. Eila's mouth instantly twisted into a frown and, though she could not hear what the two were talking about, she could tell that whatever Yoshika was saying was making Sanya happy.

_'Did I do something..?'_ Eila wondered sadly as she looked at Sanya, strangely feeling her appetite leave her as she gazed at the pale girl's smiling face.

"Hello, Eila-san."

Eila was startled out of her reverie as Lynette took Sanya's usual seat next to her.

"Sorry for intruding. It seems Yoshika-chan and Sanya-chan have been really close today, don't you think?" she commented cheerily, though Eila could detect a slightly sad undertone in her voice.

"Yeah..." Eila replied simply as she pushed her full plate away, her gaze now occupied with glaring a hole straight through Yoshika's forehead.

"Aren't you going to eat, Eila-san?" Lynette asked as she gave Eila a slightly concerned look.

"Not hungry," Eila muttered as she stood from the table and wordlessly left.

Eila returned to her room, her stomach tied up in a jealous knot as she flopped down hard onto her mattress. She stared at the stone wall as she wrapped her arms around her pillow and twisted the soft material.

_'Is it me..? Was it something I did..?'_ she wondered to herself as she flipped onto her other side. _'Why're you leaving me all alone, Sanya..?'_ Eila thought as a few tears welled in her eyes before she blinked them away. Her heart ached from a deep sense of abandonment that swelled inside her as she flipped onto her back and lay, staring at the solid stone ceiling. She splayed her limbs out on the bed and closed her eyes, not even bothering to take her uniform off as she eventually fell into a restless sleep.

*** Strike Witches ***

Eila slowly awoke as the early morning sun shined in through her window and against her closed eyelids. She blinked her eyes open and slowly sat up in bed, her pale blonde hair slightly frazzled from her sleep. Eila looked to the empty spot in her bed that Sanya usually occupied.

_'I know she wasn't on patrol last night, but it still feels like...'_ she thought as she rubbed at her chest, the same feeling of loneliness and abandonment from the night before welling up inside her.

The Suomus girl was distracted from her heart's pains as her stomach began to ache, but not from the usual envy.

_'Well, that's what I get for not eating last night,'_ she thought jokingly in an attempt to cheer herself up as her stomach grumbled angrily at her. Eila hopped out of bed, adjusted her uniform, and smoothed down her hair before she made her way out of her room and down the hallway towards the mess hall.

"Well, I'm sure everything will be fine today," Eila said to herself as she entered the mess hall.

Since it was early there were not many other Witches at the table yet, only Barkhorn, Minna, and Charlotte and Lucchini who were preparing the meal again that day. Eila took her usual seat giddily awaited Sanya's arrival.

"Oh, Eila, morning!" Charlotte called from the kitchen as Lucchini stirred a pot full of a Romagnian dish with a huge grin on her face.

"Hey, Shirley," Eila replied casually.

"Tomorrow's the big day, eh?" the red head replied with a large smile. Eila attempted a smile in return as she nodded, though she did not feel very special despite the next day being her birthday.

The mess hall door opened and Eila nearly jumped out of her seat in anticipation. However, her face twisted into an annoyed scowl as Yoshika and Lynette came through the door, taking their usual seats together. Eila commenced her now new habit of trying to cut through Yoshika's head with an intense glare.

_'What does Sanya see in Miyafuji, anyway?'_ Eila mentally griped as she glowered at the Fuso Witch.

The mess hall door swung open again and this time Eila was elated to see Sanya walk through, yawning slightly.

_'She's so cute when she's tired...'_ Eila mentally gushed as she watched Sanya approach with barely repressed elation. _'Yesterday was just something weird, I'm sure of it,'_ Eila happily told herself.

However, her heart fell when Sanya walked right past her without so much as a cursory glance and sat down next to Yoshika in Hartmann's usual seat and began talking to the Fuso Witch.

'_I...I must have done something...'_ Eila thought as her features twisted into hurt and sadness. _'But what did I do?'_ she mentally cried as she looked down at the bare wood of the table, doing her best to repress the tears that threatened to spill out.

Eila only absently registered the sound of the mess hall door opening for a third time before she heard someone flop into the chair next to her.

"What is this..? Musical chairs..?" Hartmann tiredly griped as she yawned and scratched her head. Barkhorn glared at Hartmann from across the table but said nothing.

Soon all the Witches were assembled and the table was abuzz with the normal morning chatter. Eila stared down at her plate the entire meal, jabbing at her potatoes with her fork as if they were Yoshika's face. But she barely ate anything at all, only enough to calm her angry stomach, but nothing more.

After the meal, Sakamoto marched the Witches back out to the field for target practice. Eila stood alongside her fellow Witches as gunfire sounded off to both sides of her. She shouldered her MG42 and fired a perfect five-round burst that obliterated her target into a splintery cloud. She smiled in satisfaction as she felt some of her emotional stress leave her mind.

"Excellent shot, Eila," Sakamoto praised from behind her.

Eila smiled again as she felt her ego re-inflate a tiny bit. She looked down the range, instinctively expecting to hear the soft praise of her Orussian partner. However, all the relief she had felt was instantly reversed as she saw Sanya and Yoshika talking to each other, as they stood side-by-side.

_'They aren't even practicing!'_ Eila thought as hurt overwhelmed her senses and she threw her gun to the ground before rushing back into the base, not even stopping to explain her absence to Sakamoto.

Eila walked down the corridors of the Strike Witches' base, her face sullen with distress and her mind a maelstrom of emotions.

_'Why is she spending so much time with Miyafuji? Does she...not like me anymore?'_ Eila thought as dread grasped at her heart. _'But everything was just fine the other day!'_ she mentally countered. _'Why are you abandoning me, Sanya..?'_ she thought in equal parts bitterness and sadness.

"Eila?"

Eila started at the soft voice behind her and turned on her heel to see Sanya standing just behind her.

"S-Sanya..." Eila stuttered out as the pale girl looked at her curiously.

"I was wondering where you were, you left the range so suddenly," Sanya commented. "Would you like to do something, Eila?" she asked as she cocked her head to the side. Eila crossed her arms over her chest and looked to the side as, strangely enough, resentment entered her mind.

"Why? You seem to be having a good time with Miyafuji," Eila replied sadly, though bitterness was just below the surface.

Sanya looked confused and slightly taken aback.

"But, Eila-" Sanya began but Eila cut her off as she turned her gaze back to the gray haired girl.

"Why don't you just go back to spending time with her?" she said curtly before turning on her heel again and stomping off down the hallway, leaving a very confused Sanya in her wake.

Eila entered her room and slammed the door behind her. She sat down on the edge of her bed, both her heart and stomach aching from the emotions tying them up.

Neither girl saw each other again for the rest of the day until dinner time came around. Eila sat at the mess hall table and picked at her food again, glaring silently at Yoshika as the Fuso girl and Sanya conversed across the table. Occasionally Sanya would look over at Eila and catch her gaze but whenever she did, Eila would immediately look back down at her food, her distressed anger clearly written on her face. Whenever Eila would look back up to continue giving Yoshika looks, she would notice Sanya watching her out of the corner of her eye, and occasionally the Orussian girl's mouth would twitch down sadly for just a moment.

After dinner, Eila promptly returned to her room and laid on her bed, staring up at the ceiling once again.

_'What's with her anyway? Abandoning me like that then acting like nothing happened...'_ Eila thought bitterly as she recalled the day's earlier encounter. Despite her resentful feelings, she was forced to rub the tears lining her eyes away.

Disgruntled, Eila rose from her bed and stripped out of her uniform, throwing it to the floor in a heap as she returned to bed and wrapped herself up in sheets to create a cocoon of sorrow, jealousy, and hostility. Eventually she managed to drift off into an uncomfortable sleep for the second night in a row.

*** Strike Witches ***

Eila jolted awake in the early morning as she felt a tremor run through her bed. She looked over and spotted the familiar sight of Sanya, fast asleep on her stomach. Normally, Eila would have been delighted that the Orussian girl had exhaustedly wandered into her room as she almost always did, however this time...

"Sanya, wake up," Eila said, her face twisting into a frown as she rustled the sleeping girl. Sanya slowly blinked her eyes open and sat up, peering exhaustedly at the pouting Suomus girl.

"Eila..? What's wrong..?" Sanya asked as she rubbed her eyes sleepily.

"Go sleep in your own room," Eila replied sternly as her face hardened in resentment.

"But...Eila...you always let me sleep with you," Sanya said softly, her voice wavering slightly as hurt etched itself on her face. Eila pushed Sanya towards the edge of the bed, forcing the gray haired girl to stand up with Eila quickly following her.

"Eila, why are you acting like this? What's wrong?" Sanya asked, her voice emotional and pleading.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you!" Eila cried bitterly as she stood her ground, despite how her heart complained at her mind not to act this way to Sanya. However, her brain had severed all logical ties with her heart and she was running purely on the deep seeded feeling of sour frustration and abandonment that had developed from her jealousy.

"What's wrong with me..? I don't understand..." Sanya replied, clearly confused and upset.

"You know very well what! You've been spending all your time with Miyafuji lately!" Eila cried back, her voice nearly cracking from emotion as well.

"Yoshika-chan..?" Sanya asked softly.

"If you're so close with her now, why don't you go sleep in her room?" Eila yelled as she clenched her eyes shut.

Silence hovered over the girls for a moment until Eila heard a whimper and opened her eyes. Sanya's eyes were filled with tears and she looked on the verge of sobbing. Eila's hardened expression instantly shattered as she looked at what she had done.

_'What have I done..?'_ she berated herself as she reached out for Sanya but the Orussian girl jerked away and stepped backwards.

"Y-you think I've been ignoring you for Yoshika-chan..?" Sanya asked quietly, though her voice was choked with tears.

"Sanya, I'm-" Eila began as she reached out for Sanya again but the tears began to flow freely down the pale girl's cheeks.

"You're so stupid, Eila!" Sanya cried as she turned and ran out of the room, leaving the door slightly ajar and a mist of tears hanging in the air in her wake.

Eila stood in absolute silence as she stared at the door, her hand still outstretched towards the girl who was no longer there. Suddenly her hand began to quiver and she balled her fingers into a fist.

_'Damn it!_' she mentally yelled as she rounded on the nearby wall and punched it with all her might. Eila panted heavily as her fist remained in the dent her blow had created in the solid stone, a light blue aura pulsating around her closed fingers. She pulled her fist back and cringed as bits of stone fell from the wall and her knuckles along with a thin trickle of blood.

She cradled her wounded hand in her other hand as she sat heavily back on her mattress. Though she could hold her injured hand, her wounded heart and pride felt utterly exposed, with nothing to cover her shame or hurt.

_'Sanya...'_ she thought as her eyes misted with tears. Eila silently lay back down on her bed in Sanya's usual place, curling up in the hope of taking the edge off the pain she felt in her heart.

Eila did not leave her room the entire day, skipping breakfast, drills, and lunch entirely. She was in a state of complete unrest as she lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling or walls and replaying the morning's events in her mind over and over, feeling more and more guilt ridden every time.

The sun had begun to set against the horizon, casting the sky into a golden purple hue, though Eila took no notice of the time as she wrapped herself in her own little world.

_'What have I done..?'_ she berated herself worriedly for what felt like the millionth time that day.

Suddenly a knock on the door startled Eila from her reverie and she stared at the door with joyful anticipation.

'_Please be Sanya…' _ Eila mentally begged as she waited for the shy girl to call out to her from beyond the door.

"Eila-san..?" Yoshika's voice came floating through the wooden barrier, causing Eila's growing smile to die and twist into a scowl.

_'Miyafuji...'_ Eila spat bitterly as she sat up on her bed.

"Eila-san, nobody's seen you all day, we've all been kind of worried..." Yoshika continued despite not receiving a reply.

Eila sighed and hefted herself from the bed and went to the door, her bare feet softly padding against the stone floor. She ripped the door open, causing Yoshika to physically startle back a few steps, then grin and giggle sheepishly. Eila simply glared at Yoshika until the young Fuso Witch composed herself.

"Happy birthday, Eila-san!" Yoshika said happily with a cheery smile on her face. Eila did not reply and simply kept her burning gaze on Yoshika's forehead. The young Witch laughed nervously again as she visibly gulped, beginning to feel strangely hot.

"W-well, Eila-san, can you come with me? Um…since you missed drills, Commander Minna asked me to come find you," Yoshika said shakily.

Eila huffed and slammed the door in Yoshika's face before returning quickly, fully clothed.

'_Great…now I'm in trouble too...'_ Eila mentally griped as she began to follow Yoshika down the hallway.

"You know, Eila-san, you should be happier, it's your birthday!" Yoshika commented in an attempt to alleviate the tensely unhappy aura she felt around the Suomus Witch. Eila did not respond at all, instead keeping her gaze set resolutely forward.

"Everybody has been worried since you skipped meals and training..." Yoshika repeated a little sadly, finally feeling the subtle hostility in Eila's mood. The pale blonde mumbled some obscure reply before falling silent again.

The two Witches walked onwards through the corridors in silence, their destination becoming clear as they approached the base's common room. As they turned a corner, Eila noticed that the further they went, the dimmer the lights became, until the corridor was completely dark.

_'Power problems?'_ Eila wondered as she glanced around.

"Well, here we are," Yoshika announced as she pushed open the large double doors leading to the common room.

Inside, the room was utterly dark, made even more so by the rapidly fading sunlight. Eila curiously looked around as the pair walked out into the very dark room. Then, Eila heard a giggle echo ominously throughout the room which caused her to jerk in the direction she heard it from, her stance cautious.

"Miyafuji, did you hear-?" she began to ask as she turned towards where Yoshika had been standing just a few moments ago, but had now vanished.

_'What's going on here?'_ she wondered cautiously as heard another giggle and spun in that direction again. Eila was blinded as the lights suddenly came on, forcing her to shield her eyes until they adjusted to the light.

"Surprise!"

Eila quickly lowered her hand to see the smiling faces of all her fellow Witches standing in front of her. Lucchini, Charlotte, Lynette and Hartmann were all wearing party hats, though Lucchini wore two, and all were grinning widely. Sakamoto, Minna, Barkhorn, and Perrine stood further to the edge of the assembled Witches with more serious expressions on their faces, the blonde Gallian haughtily attempting to look as if she did not care, though a party hat sat crookedly on her head.

"What is all this..?" Eila asked as she mentally reeled from the surprise.

"Happy birthday, Eila!" Lucchini cried as she lurched forward and gave the startled Suomus Witch a hug and complementary grope. "Haven't grown a bit..." Lucchini mumbled disappointedly as she detached herself as Charlotte walked up and clapped her hand on Eila's shoulder with a large grin.

"Happy birthday, Eila," she said as well as she pointed up to the large banner hanging over the room that read: _'Happy birthday, Eila-san.'_

Eila stared up at the banner for a moment before snapping out of her daze.

"Did you do all this..?" she asked, still startled by the entire thing.

"Oh, no, I didn't do much," Charlotte replied as she pointed over at Yoshika. "There's your mastermind."

Yoshika rubbed her head and giggled as she came walking back over to Eila.

"Well, I just made the banner and helped organize everybody..." Yoshika replied humbly.

"This was your idea, Miyafuji..?" Eila asked as she began to felt even more guilt well up inside her, this time directed at Yoshika.

"W-well...Sanya-chan did most of the work!" Yoshika replied as she grinned happily.

"Sanya..?" Eila said, more to herself, as she began to feel sick to her stomach with guilt.

The other assembled Witches dispersed from their group and came up to offer Eila their birthday wishes, particularly Minna who excused her missing drills. Then they all began to mingle around the room, enjoying the table of snacks that had been prepared, though saving the large cake for last.

Eila mostly stood around by herself, feeling the sickening remorse bubble up inside her. Yoshika noticed Eila's dreary mood and parted from Lynette before approaching the pale blonde Witch.

"Eila-san, you don't look very happy, don't you like the party?" Yoshika asked in concern.

"N-no, it's really nice...thanks, Miyafuji," Eila replied somberly, which did not feel very reassuring.

"Is it because Sanya-chan isn't here?" Yoshika asked. The look of upset pain that flashed across Eila's face confirmed what she had asked. "I'm sorry, Eila-san...I tried to find her, but I don't know where she disappeared off to. She did put a lot of work into the party, we've been working on it for the past couple of days too," Yoshika said which caused Eila's stomach to tighten at this new revelation.

"The past few days..? Y-you mean...that's why she was spending so much time with you?" Eila asked in disbelief, the overwhelming guilt almost ready to burst out of her. Yoshika simply nodded in reply.

"She worked really hard. She even spent all of yesterday carving the cake figurine," Yoshika stated as she pointed to the large cake. Eila looked and noticed the tiny figurine atop it and walked up for a closer inspection.

Eila's heart dropped and she nearly started crying then and there as she examined the tiny figurine replica of herself, clearly painstakingly carved to look just like her, striking a dramatic pose with her Strikers and MG42.

_'She did all this...and I acted that way towards her...'_ Eila thought as tears filled her eyes, blurring her vision until she was forced to rub them away. Without a word, Eila turned and ran out of the room, a few curious and concerned gazes following her.

*** Strike Witches ***

_'I have to find her...'_ Eila thought as she ran down the maze of corridors until she came out into the main dormitory hallway.

Eila panted softly as she went up to Sanya's door, her arm outstretched. She paused for a moment as her hand hovered an inch from the bare wood. Finally, she gathered the courage and knocked on the door. After a few moments of no reply, she knocked again. Again, no reply came. Eila decided to trudge forward despite the lack of response and opened the Orussian Witch's door. Inside, the room was pitch dark, the only light coming from the open door that cast Eila's figure as a looming shadow across the stone floor.

"Sanya..?" Eila called out softly as she stepped into the room.

The sheets on Sanya's bed rustled gently as the Suomus girl approached. Eila sat down on the edge of Sanya's bed near the end and pulled the covers back, revealing the pale Witch in just her underwear, fast asleep on her side, facing the wall away from Eila. Eila's stomach turned as she noticed the puffy redness of Sanya's eyes.

_'I made her cry...'_ Eila reminded herself, as she had been doing all day long, as she reached out and shook the sleeping girl.

"Sanya..." she called out softly. Sanya slowly stirred awake and blinked her eyes open. She shifted her head to the side and saw Eila sitting there.

"Eila..." Sanya replied softly as she rubbed her puffy eyes and slowly sat up, the covers ringing her bare legs.

Sanya stared at Eila, a pout forming on her face as she continually shifted her gaze from the mattress, to the wall, then back at Eila. Eila opened her mouth to speak but slowly shut it; she repeated this several times before she summoned the courage to speak.

"Sanya...I...I'm sorry..." Eila said softly. This diverted Sanya's full attention back to Eila and she looked at the Suomus girl expectantly. Eila gulped hard as she continued on.

"I'm sorry for earlier...I..." Eila trailed off as tears began to well in her shimmering eyes. "...I was stupidly jealous and upset, I thought you were...abandoning me for Miyafuji," Eila confessed softly as a few tears trickled down her cheeks.

"E-Eila..." Sanya replied softly before Eila continued.

"I was so...so jealous, I don't know what came over me, I just felt so abandoned..." she continued as her voice choked. "Then...everybody just surprised me with that party...and Miyafuji told me everything, that you were helping her put everything together."

Sanya scooted closer to Eila as the pale blonde continued her confession.

"I just can't take the thought of you not being with me all the time..." Eila said softly. She was startled when she felt the shy Witch embrace her.

"It's alright, Eila," Sanya whispered against the pale blonde's shoulder. Eila brought her arms up and wrapped them around the younger Witch and hugged her back.

"Y-you…aren't mad at me?" Eila asked as she laid her own head against Sanya's shoulder.

"No," Sanya replied simply as she relaxed against the older Witch.

"Do you forgive me for what I did?" Eila asked hopefully.

_'Even though I don't deserve it...'_ she mentally added.

"Of course," Sanya replied happily as she rubbed her cheek against Eila's shoulder.

Eila smiled and closed her eyes in contentedness as she nuzzled the side of the pale girl's neck in return. The two Witches stayed in their comforting embrace for a little longer until Sanya broke it by pulling back.

"Eila, I have a present for you," she said softly. Eila looked at her curiously. "Close your eyes..." Sanya said as an odd blush entered her cheeks.

"Sanya..?" Eila asked, wondering what the Orussian girl was up to.

"Please," Sanya said pleadingly as her eyes wavered and her blush intensified.

"A-alright..." Eila replied as she slowly closed her eyes.

_'What's she gonna do-?'_

Eila's wondering was answered as she felt a moist warmth press firmly against her lips. Her eyes flew open to the sight of Sanya's lightly closed eyes a mere inch from her own. She did not respond to the kiss out of pure shock until Sanya pulled back, a deep blush and small smile on her face.

"S…Sanya..." Eila slowly said and her cheeks glowed intensely as she stared into Sanya's eyes, the emotion in them sparkling in the dim moonlight.

Suddenly, Sanya pressed forward again and planted another kiss on the stunned Witch's lips. Even though Eila was startled again, she found herself eagerly kissing back as the younger Witch pressed her down against the mattress. When Sanya pulled back again, Eila found herself pressed beneath her.

"Sanya...what are you-?" Eila began but Sanya cut her off with a third impassioned kiss.

Eila was surprised when she felt Sanya's tongue lightly trace the line of her lips. The pale blonde quickly parted them to allow the younger girl entrance and her cheeks lit up as her tongue danced with Sanya's in her mouth. When Sanya pulled back for a third time, both girls were panting lightly and shared a deep, intense blush. The girls looked into each other's eyes for a long moment; they did not need words to express the love they both shared.

Then, without warning, Sanya attacked the base of Eila's neck and began to lavish the sensitive flesh with kisses and the occasional playful nibble. Eila leaned her head back and arched her neck up to give the gray haired Witch a better vantage as she closed her eyes lightly and relaxed into the pleasant sensations coursing through her body.

_'Sanya...Sanya...'_ Eila mentally moaned as she felt the shy Witch begin to trail kisses further down, along her collar bone. She nearly opened her eyes in disappointment when she felt Sanya's ministrations come to an abrupt end until she felt the buttons of her uniform being fumbled with. Faster than Eila thought possible, Sanya had stripped her out of her uniform and pushed her bra aside before teasingly returning to her collar bone. However, it did not take long before Sanya began to trail downwards once again, and this time it did not come to an abrupt end. Eila gasped breathlessly and felt her back arch of it's own accord as Sanya's affections finally reached even more sensitive flesh.

"S-Sanya..!"

*** Strike Witches ***

The sun hung low in the early morning sky as Yoshika walked down the dormitory corridor.

"I wonder why Sanya-chan and Eila-san were late for breakfast?" Yoshika wondered to herself. Neither Witch had shown up for breakfast that morning, so Sakamoto and Minna had sent Yoshika to locate the whereabouts of the two girls.

"Come to think of it, Eila-san did leave her party abruptly last night..." Yoshika said to herself worriedly. "I guess I should check Sanya-chan's room first," Yoshika resolved as she went up to Sanya's door and knocked lightly.

"Sanya-chan?" Yoshika called out but received no reply. "I'm coming in..." she said as she grabbed the knob and slowly opened the door.

Yoshika walked into the dim room but instantly froze as she her eyes fell on the bed. What she saw caused her to stumble backwards, a deep crimson blush inflamed on her cheeks.

Sanya and Eila were both asleep beneath the covers, snoring lightly with deeply contended smiles on their faces. Sanya lay atop the pale blonde, gently nuzzling the older girl's bare chest with an arm wrapped loosely around her midriff. Eila also had an arm wrapped around Sanya protectively, the other resting lightly atop the younger girl's gray hair.

Once the initial shock of her discovery subsided, Yoshika smiled at the beautiful and peaceful scene before her. Without a word, she quietly walked back out of the room and noiselessly closed the door, leaving the two Witches to their peaceful slumber.

**END**

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**Author's Commentary:** A sad story with a happy ending! I've wanted to write a passionate ending for a Sanya/Eila story for awhile, like the one I wrote in _'You're So Beautiful'_, because Sanya and Eila deserve a passionate ending like that! Well, I hope you all enjoyed, and all feedback is happily welcomed!


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